enclosure best wood????

[Hoj]

so i am in the process of desiging two new cham cages and amd jjust doing some quick reasearch on the best type of wood to use as well as other materials, paint, stain ect... as i have been told that certain types of wood care be harmfully to a chamelaons health??
i only want the best for my chams so all suggestions are welcomed??
thank you iin advance

hoj & camo

 

[Jhov2324]

I just built a stand for my new cham set up and i used MDF wood..

 

[Hoj]

I just built a stand for my new cham set up and i used MDF wood..

just curious what you coated it with as i know that mdf is very suseptable to moisture and is a particle board put together with glue and chems i would not think it may be safe for chams. not sure??

 

[Jhov2324]

well the cham isnt going to be in contact with the wood...i primered it painted and then clear coated.

 

[Triggerfreak]

I am using birch hardwood plywood for my new drainage stand for mine.And type of hardwood would be best i would think.

 

[Johnny909]

Use a good quality pine at minimum if you plan on using the cages for many years. Seal it with natural water based products, they have a conplete line at Rona. And put 3 layers of it making sure it dries in between each. If you want color use stain has it cannot crack and flake off.

 

[Hoj]

Use a good quality pine at minimum if you plan on using the cages for many years. Seal it with natural water based products, they have a conplete line at Rona. And put 3 layers of it making sure it dries in between each. If you want color use stain has it cannot crack and flake off.

thx john i was thinking pine, and good tip on the water based prod,

thx agn

 

[Johnny909]

Do you have a nail gun? I borrowed mine, its a must i have to admit. Take a look at my pics of how i built my cage. The biggest mistake i did was not make a drainage hole, i will have to make one with a hole-saw :-S

 

[Scott85]

I use birch plywood, cedar, and ash. All were coated in a clear penetrating epoxy and 5 layers of helmsman polyurathane, common for boat hulls. Each coat was allowed to dry 2 days and sanded between. Not the cheapest route, but I have been really impressed with the results.

Many people dont like using polyurethane, because it smells and it peels. The epoxy acts as bonding agent for the polyurethane, to prevent peeling. It did take a while for the polyurethane to cure, about 3-4 weeks, it was left outside for this. Once cured the odor goes away. Its been 4 years now, there is not the tinest bit of cracking, chiping, or peeling. And the wood looks just as good as the day it was coated. If you are interested, this is the product.

http://www.star-distributing.com/smith/cpeswhy.html

As I said, not cheap, but I bet you could make a boat out of cardboard with it.

 

[Goggles]

A buddy made mine for me. He used oak and a marine sealer. Two years in and still looks like new. Did take a while for the fumes to go away though.
Heres a link:https://www.chameleonforums.com/do-any-you-know-40693/#post379406

 

[Hoj]

A buddy made mine for me. He used oak and a marine sealer. Two years in and still looks like new. Did take a while for the fumes to go away though.
Heres a link:https://www.chameleonforums.com/do-any-you-know-40693/#post379406

thats really nice id love to build one like that but i think my woodworking skills are a little lacking, would your friend like to build and sell another one

 

[MK1]

Pine

I used select pine from a lowes type store. Its less work if your boards are straight and not warped. I used only a brad nailer, pocket screw jig, craftsman 10" chop saw and a screw gun to make mine. I also stained and poly coated mine, the mistwater just beads off. Ill post pics if u want but, I think mine came out very nice

 

[Johnny909]

I used select pine from a lowes type store. Its less work if your boards are straight and not warped. I used only a brad nailer, pocket screw jig, craftsman 10" chop saw and a screw gun to make mine. I also stained and poly coated mine, the mistwater just beads off. Ill post pics if u want but, I think mine came out very nice

Yes, the warping, make sure you hand pic ever part you need, find a flat surface in the store and check every one of them. The most important parts to check are the ones you will be using to make the door frame with, a slight warp in the door fram can cause it not to seal properly when you close it, not to the point where your cham can escape, but the crickets will.

Nice cage bu the way, looks very solid!

 

[Hoj]

very nice mk1 that the same basic look im going for, good tip on the wood thx